When Life Gives You Lemons (Revised)
by Kisa101
Summary: It's not easy to make lemonade when your life is one big lemon. Whose life isn't? My mother always told me to do the impossible and make grape juice from it. A funny idea but, thinking back now, my mother and her friends did just that: they overcame impossible odds. And honestly, I'm glad they did for because of them...I can be strong too.
1. New Year's Eve

A/N: As promised, here is the start of a revised story. Expect many things to stay the same, but expect lots of changes as well. Please R&R. Constructive criticism is appreciated. It is my hope that you enjoy this story even better than the original. Have fun! :)

Chapter One: New Year's Eve

"Now Kohana, stick close to me and Uncle Eriol okay? We don't want you to get lost in this crowd tonight."

The little girl named Kohana looked up at the young lady in front of her and nodded her head. "Okay, Auntie Tomoyo!" It was New Year's Eve and almost everyone was out for the festival that was being held that night in Tomoeda. As it got closer to midnight, the people got more excited, chattering about the fireworks that would be starting in a few hours.

It was not Kohana's first time at the New Year's Eve festival, but it was certainly her first time with someone else other than her mother who was going to be busy until it was almost time for the fireworks. Auntie Tomoyo and Uncle Eriol were happy to bring her along with them and so they all agreed that they would meet up in time to watch the fireworks together.

With her favorite teddy bear in her arms Kohana waited patiently on her temporary guardians who were buying treats for them all while doing one of her favorite things in the world: people watching. Emerald eyes sparkled excitedly, watching in awe everything that was happening around her. She could not understand everything the people nearby said or did but either way she found it all to be very interesting.

Suddenly, some older kids ran past, bumping into Kohana and causing her to drop her teddy and get kicked a distance away from her due to all the people rushing by. Without thinking she ran after her teddy bear, pushing through the crowd the best way she could in order to reach it. A minute later, free of the crowd Kohana happily bent down to pick up her beloved stuffed toy and hug it. Now that her bear was back in her arms she was ready to return to Auntie Tomoyo and Uncle Eriol…

Something was not right. During the time Kohana had left to retrieve her teddy, the crowds had increased in size. She could not even see the booth that she left her aunt and uncle at. Fear struck her as she realized that she was now surrounded by a sea of people and was completely lost. Not knowing what to do, the little girl did what she thought was best: call for help.

"Uncle Eriol! Auntie Tomoyo! Where are you?" She kept screaming this repeatedly with no success. The crowd was too great and the numerous, loud voices swallowed up her own, small voice.

"Well, well, look who we have here." Kohana turned around thinking the voice belonged to someone she knew. The smile on her face immediately fell into a frown. She knew the owner of the voice, but the person was far from being liked by her to say in the least.

It was one of the older boys from her neighborhood named Shiro, a second grader at Tomoeda Elementary and a bully. He and his friends were all gathered together for the fireworks when they bumped into the little girl and decided it was time to get into some mischief. "Looks like someone here is lost. Why aren't you with your mommy?"

"Maybe she finally got sick of her and chose to leave her behind" another one of the boys volunteered.

Kohana took a cautious step back, holding her teddy close to her chest. "Leave me alone!"

"Why should we? Who is going to stop us? Your mommy?" The boys all laughed. Shiro eyed the toy bear in Kohana's possession and decided to yank it out of her hands, causing the little girl to scream in frustration. "I think your mommy really got sick of her and left you here. My mommy says all the time that you messed up your mommy's life. She says that you are the daughter of a slut!"

Kohana never really understood what the word "slut" meant but she always heard it being said by many of the mommies and daddies where she lived and knew that it was not a nice thing. She did not like it when people talked badly about her mommy. Her mommy was a good mommy! "Stop it! Give it back!"

Shiro took the teddy, dropped in on the ground and stomped on it. With a smile he said, "Make me."

Kohana looked down a saw a small stone. Quickly she picked it up and with anger in her eyes she threw it with all her might at the main bully in front of her. The stone made contact and hit Shiro square in the middle of his forehead. Screaming in pain the boy clutched his forehead which now had a small bruise. He looked up and started glaring daggers at the little girl. She was going to pay.

Shiro stomped over to Kohana and grabbed her by the arm, resulting in her screaming and demanding that he let her go. He was just about to pull at her hair when a different voice was heard.

"Can someone tell me what is going on here?" The boys stop dead in their tracks to see a tall young man standing directly behind the girl they were tormenting. Sharp eyes pierced the boys gaze and frightened them enough to drop Kohana's arm.

Shiro, being the leader spoke up despite the fear coursing through his body. "We weren't doing anything."

The young man raised one eyebrow in disbelief and crossed his arms. "I don't believe that for one second, but I'll tell you what. You are going to give this little girl her teddy bear back and leave her alone. If I see you messing with her or anyone else again, I will deal with all of you. Got it?" The boys were only brave enough to nod their heads. "Good. Now go!" They did as they were told and ran from the scene.

The young man shook his head at the retreating boys and turned his attention to the girl in front of him. Bending down in front of her, his eyes softened and became much gentler. "Hello there. The boys ran away so you're safe now. My name is Syaoran Li. What's your name?"

"My name is Kohana Kinomoto." The little girl looked up at the young man who saved her and became fascinated by his kind, amber eyes. "Thank you for saving me."

Syaoran smiled. "You're welcome. Now it seems that you are lost. Did you come with your parents?"

"No, I came with Auntie Tomoyo and Uncle Eriol." Recognition passed through Syaoran's eyes.

"Those sound like people I actually know…"

"Kohana! Where are you?" Kohana turned suddenly when he heard two familiar voices not that far away. Happily, she called out to the two voices. Within a minute or so Tomoyo came pushing through the crowd that was not that far away, with Eriol right behind her. Tomoyo immediately picked up the little girl and gave her a big hug. "I am so glad you're safe! I told you not to leave our side, you could have been hurt!"

Kohana looked up at Tomoyo. "I'm sorry, Auntie Tomoyo." She then turned to point at Syaoran. "He saved me!"

Tomoyo and Eriol looked at the young man in front of them curiously. Realization hit Eriol and a smile grew on his face. He held out his hand. "I did not expect to meet you here tonight of all places."

Syaoran smiled and took his hand in a firm handshake and then pulled him into a quick hug. "Likewise. I wanted to surprise you guys at school actually but that failed. Meiling and I are moving here to Tomoeda."

"That is quite the surprise!" Eriol turned towards Tomoyo. "Tomoyo, this is my cousin Syaoran…the one I have mentioned to you before. He and our cousin Meiling are from Hong Kong. Syaoran, this is my girlfriend Tomoyo."

Syaoran held out his hand to shake hers. "I have heard a lot about you."

Tomoyo smiled and returned the handshake. "Same here! It's nice to finally meet you and thank you so much for saving Kohana! Her mother asked us to watch her until we all could meet together to watch the fireworks. Would you like to join us?"

"Thank you, but I will have to pass this time. I lost track of Meiling and I need to find her before the fireworks start."

Eriol nodded. "That's fine. We have to find Sakura before the fireworks start too."

"Is that another friend of yours?"

"Yea, she is. She goes to our school so you can meet her then." Tomoyo grinned. "I'm glad to have met you and I hope we can become great friends."

"Bye Syaoran!" Syaoran waved at Kohana. The couple and Kohana then waved goodbye and went on their way.

Moments later Syaoran caught up with his cousin Meiling. "There you are, Syaoran! I was looking all over for you! What happened?"

Syaoran shrugged. "I'll explain it later. The fireworks are about to start." Seconds later flashes of bright light illuminated the sky in a diversity of colors. While admiring the view in front of him, Syaoran thought about his new life in Japan and wondered what was waiting for him there.

If only he knew that what was in store for him was much greater than he had ever anticipated.


	2. Enters Sakura

A/N: Hello again! I'm back earlier than expected and I bring chapter two along with me! To be honest I was quite surprised at the number of responses I received in such a small amount of time for this story. While it was not a great number, every review, private message, and favorite is precious to me and I appreciate you all! Hope you enjoy this chapter as well. ^_^

* * *

Chapter Two: Enters Sakura

New Year's Day came and went and families got to spend time together. However, those days were long gone and it was time for classes to start once again. There were many who looked forward to seeing their friends at school once again after being away for a few days. There were also many who preferred not having to return to school at all.

And then, there were people like Sakura Kinomoto. In her case it didn't matter if she looked forward to going to school. The majority of the people did not want her there anyway.

Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself for what she knew was going to come once she entered the school doors of Tomoeda High. Walking up the stairs leading to the main door, Sakura purposefully ignored the whispers and snickers coming from students who walked ahead of her. Once she got inside however, the whispers grew louder and became more intense to the point where it became difficult to ignore them even if she wanted to.

"I didn't expect Kinomoto to return after all that happened to her last year."

"She's pretty bold to come back."

"Hey, did you hear? Rumor has it that she slept with three more guys over the break."

"Really?! Well, I guess it doesn't surprise me. She is the community whore after all."

"I guess old habits really do die hard."

"Please, you make it sound like she's even trying to stop. Once a slut, always a slut."

The poor girl being spoken about could no longer block out the words that she tried so hard to ignore. She could however keep her act up and pretend as though the words did not phase her. So that is what she did. As she headed towards her locker to change shoes she heard someone call out her name. Turning around she was relieved to see her dear friends Tomoyo and Eriol.

"Hey guys!" Sakura hugged her friends happily. "I know it's only been a few days since we've seen each other but it's good to see you."

Tomoyo grinned. "It's good to see you too! I hope you are doing well…and that no one has bothered you for today…" With a raised eyebrow she looked around at all the students who had been whispering just moments ago. Now, instead of talking, the hall was practically silent with each student pretending to be minding their own business.

Sakura laughed weakly but kept the smile on her face all the same. "I'm fine Tomoyo, I really am."

Tomoyo shook her head with a slight frown on her face but chose not to bring up what had more than likely occurred just a few seconds ago. Eriol also chose to do the same and changed the topic.

"I have some people I want you to meet later today. Two of my cousins, Syaoran and Meiling Li are transferring to our school from Hong Kong."

"Really? That's cool! I would love to meet some of your family!" Sakura suddenly went silent and her cheery mood wavered slightly. "You didn't…say anything about me to them have you…?"

It was a vague question but no clarification was needed. The couple already knew what Sakura was hinting too. Eriol shook his head and spoke a bit more softly. "I've only mentioned you to Syaoran so far and all I have told him was that you are a very good friend of me and Tomoyo."

Sakura sighed in relief. "That's good to know. I don't intend to keep it a secret from them but I would prefer to not have that as the first image they have in their head when they think of me, you know?"

Tomoyo wrapped an arm around the young lady's shoulder. "There's no need to worry about that. We both respect your wishes after all and would never share something you would prefer to tell people yourself in your own time. And don't worry about what their reaction will be when they find out either. I don't think they doubt Eriol's ability to judge if a friend has a good character. It will all work out."

"Thanks Tomoyo. I sure hope so…" The trio looked up when they head the shrilling of the school bell, signaling that class was about to start.

* * *

Everyone sat in Mr. Terada's homeroom class waiting for their teacher to come in. This included Sakura, Eriol and Tomoyo who were all just chatting to each other about random things. The other students were minding their own business and paying no attention to Sakura or her two friends.

It was at this time Mr. Terada entered and the class went silent, students heading to their seats. Sakura, Eriol and Tomoyo all sat in a column near the windows, with Sakura sitting in between them.

Their teacher gave his greetings and two new students entered the classroom. "Good morning class! It is good to see you all again! Today we have two new students transferring in our class today. I'll ask them to introduce themselves."

Eriol nudged the emerald-eyed girl in front of him. "Those are my two friends that I mentioned to you," he whispered.

First, a young lady with long, raven black hair and bright, brown eyes stepped forward. With a smile she began to introduce herself. "Greetings! My name is Meiling Li and I just transferred here from Hong Kong. I'm seventeen years old and I love making friends. It's nice to meet you all!"

Whispers started going around as the guys were awed by her vibrant personality. "She's amazing…" One of the male students said.

Next it was Meiling's cousin to speak. "Hello, my name is Syaoran Li and I am also transferring from Hong Kong with my cousin here. I am also seventeen years old and I love martial arts. Nice to meet you all."

Syaoran was tall with chocolate colored hair, intense amber eyes, and a gentle smile. You could also tell that was very muscular even under his uniform, showing that he truly did love martial arts and practiced daily. His baritone voice was the icing on the cake, thus causing many of the girls to swoon.

Sakura raised a single eyebrow at the reaction. "Someone seems really popular already." Sure she could easily admit that Syaoran was very attractive and that Meiling was very beautiful as well. However she wasn't sure if it warranted the love-struck faces that were found throughout the class.

Eriol, seeming to have become a mind reader, whispered again. "Don't worry, they're not going to let all of this get to their heads. They're not THAT arrogant." Sakura grinned. She sure hoped so. After all, she would love to make two new friends.

Mr. Terada spoke up a few seconds after Meiling concluded. "Thank you both very much. Now as for your seats, I'm sure you know Mr. Hiiragizawa already. There are two seats behind him." Meiling happily waved at the familiar face while Syaoran just gave a small smile and nod and they both headed towards their new seats.

* * *

"Okay boys and girls! It's lunch time!" Ms. Yen laughed as all the kids cheered, while grabbing their lunches and going to their respective seats.

A little boy with red hair and fair skin stood nervously by the shelves where the children placed all of their backpacks and lunch bags, not sure of where to sit for lunch. Ms. Yen smiled at the child. He had just moved to Tomoeda recently all the way from New York and today was his first day at the preschool so it made sense that he would be a bit nervous meeting new people.

She walked over to the child and knelt down next to him. "Kai, do you want me to help you find a seat?"

The little boy was quiet for a moment then looked up at his teacher with a small smile. "No thank you Ms. Yen. I can find a seat." Ms. Yen accepted Kai's answer and with a smile and allowed the boy to continue on his own.

Kai looked at all of the tables and quietly observed all of the other kids who were happily eating and chatting away. None of them paid any attention to him as he continued to stand and think…until he heard his name being called.

"Hey Kai! Over here!" He looked to see who was calling him and found a little girl sitting at a table alone waving at him. He decided to walk over to where the girl was sitting who was still watching him with a smile on her face.

"Hi Kai! I'm Kohana! Do you want to eat lunch with me?"

Kai nodded his head and took a seat facing the girl. Kai continued to observe Kohana for a moment. She had long black hair that reached her shoulders and tied into two long ponytails. What fascinated him the most however were her eyes. To him they were a very pretty shade of green. "I like your eyes."

The emerald eyed girl smiled. "Thank you! I like your voice. It's really cool…why do you sound like that?"

"My mommy said it's because I didn't grow up in Japan where everyone speaks Japanese."

Kohana's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Teacher said you came from New York. What is it like there?" Kai and Kohana then proceeded to talk about everything their little minds could think of during that lunch period from what New York was like to what their favorite cartoons were.

Ms. Yen smiled happily watching the two of them talk as if they had been the best of friends all this year. Kohana did not have any friends in her class because their parents all told them to stay away from the child. Quickly she sent a short prayer with the hope that the same would not happen again with these two.

* * *

Sakura was having a great time getting to know new people as well. She was currently sitting down in her homeroom class with Eriol, Tomoyo, Meiling, and Syaoran and having a great conversation over lunch.

"So why did you guys move here?" Sakura asked curiously.

Syaoran spoke up. "My parents used to live here when they were little and suddenly decided that they wanted to return to the place where they spent part of their lives. Meiling always lived with us so she insisted on moving with us too rather than living with another relative."

Meiling nodded in agreement. "I didn't have the heart to stay behind. They are the closest family I have. If they were going, I would be going too!"

Tomoyo nodded. "That makes sense. I think that's very sweet of you!"

"So what do you guys do here for fun?"

Sakura shrugged. "I don't know…I wouldn't say that we are the most interesting people to hang out with."

Eriol snorted. "Yeah right. Syaoran, Meiling, don't listen to her. This girl is in a band of her own. They perform twice a week at a spot called Club Blossom."

"That's impressive." Syaoran laughed at a blushing Sakura. "Someone appears to be quite popular around here."

Suddenly, a female student from another homeroom classroom stormed up to the group with a small bucket of water. "You evil witch!" Before anyone could react, the girl threw the water all over Sakura, shocking the rest of the class that was there into silence and setting Tomoyo and Eriol into action.

Eriol got up to help the drenched girl. Tomoyo had other plans in mind, picking up the student and slamming her into a desk behind her. "How dare you! What was that for?!"

"She had it coming! How dare she sleep with my boyfriend?! Just because she feels the need to be promiscuous does not mean she needs to go after people who actually try to stay faithful to one person!"

Tomoyo began to growl. "You cannot be this stupid! Sakura never had any interest in your guy or any other here for that matter!"

"That's not what I was told!"

"Well you were told wrong! Now get out of here before I knock you out!"

The girl smirked. "Make me!"

Tomoyo was about to do just that when a hand caught her fist in midair. She turned to see Syaoran with a gentle but stern gaze directed at her. "Don't let someone as rash and immature as this cause you to get into trouble."

Said "rash" girl could not help but scream in indignation. "I resent that statement! I know exactly what I'm doing! I'm giving that home wrecker exactly what she deserves!"

This time Meiling stepped in. "Shut up you stupid girl! Tomoyo was ready to have your head and Syaoran's trying to save your hide!"

Tomoyo felt a small hand placed on her shoulder and turned to see her dear friend Sakura, still drenched with a small smile. "Please, don't get yourself in trouble again for me. It's okay…really."

Purple eyes gazed at the friends that surrounded her and then gazed again at the girl who was still scowling. Tomoyo sighed and released her. "I'll let you go for now, but touch her again and you will regret it."

Said girl merely glared at Tomoyo and then Sakura before storming out of the room with a huff. Tomoyo shook her head and looked at her dear friend. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Sakura smiled again. "I promise you that I'll be okay. I just need a change of clothes is all."

Tomoyo and Eriol knew the smile was forced. This was not the first time they had been through a situation like this before. However, they also knew that Sakura would not admit any time soon to not being okay. And so, they simply went along with it. Tomoyo nodded. "Okay, I'll help you."

Tomoyo proceeded to help Sakura out of the classroom and the whispers began once again as soon as the two had left.

"So the rumors were true after all."

"No surprise there I suppose."

The class was stunned into silence once again as they heard a fist slammed against a table and a glare directed to all of them. With that the students either left the room or returned to what they had been doing before.

A baffled Syaoran began to question Eriol. "What was that all about?"

Eriol shook his head and looked at his two cousins sadly. "I'm sorry. It's a long story…but it's also not my story to tell. Feel free to ask Sakura, but when she is ready to tell you, she will. I can promise you that."

Meiling nodded in understanding. "I'll go see if Sakura and Tomoyo are alright." She then left the classroom. Only Syaoran and Eriol remained in awkward silence for the rest of the lunch period.

* * *

Sakura spent the rest of the day in the gym clothes that she always brought with her in case of emergencies. Mentally, she was quite exhausted. While she was happy to make new friends, having a bucket of water thrown in her face along with another bucket of accusations was enough to put a damper on her day.

It was the end of the day and Sakura could not wait to head on home. Eriol, Syaoran and Meiling had to leave early so only Tomoyo remained. Sakura told Tomoyo that she'd be fine on her own but her best friend refused to leave her on her own.

Just after Tomoyo had left the room and things had calmed down slightly, Mr. Terada entered the room. He had been informed of the situation and so Eriol and Syaoran had no choice but to explain what had just happened. Someone identified the girl and she, along with Tomoyo were called to the principal's office while Sakura was busy changing.

"The principal spoke to the girl who threw water on you during lunch. Her name's Chieko Ito. She's a senior this year. They have yet to decide what her punishment will be but at least we know she won't be expelled. She may have angered me but I don't want her expelled over something like this…and I know you certainly don't."

Sakura sighed in relief. "You're right, I don't. I'm glad you didn't get into trouble as well."

Tomoyo shrugged. "I honestly don't care if I do. Quite frankly all that girl was going to get was what she deserved for creating such a scene in our classroom. Besides, you're my best friend and I will always look out for you no matter what."

"Thank you Tomoyo. It's nice to have friends in the midst of all the messes I seem to find myself walking into…" Sakura's voice trailed off as they stopped in front of their lockers to change their shoes. "And it appears that I tend to walk into these messes one after the other…" Degrading words had been spray painted all over Sakura's locker.

She opened her locker to find her shoes gone and a sarcastic note wishing her a safe walk home. Tears began to well up in the emerald eyed girl and she clenched her fists to fight them back. All she had wanted was a decent first day back to school after a short break…and she could not even get that.

Any peace Tomoyo had gained after the water incident was now long gone and in her anger, Sakura and Tomoyo found their way back to the principal's office once more. Sakura closed her eyes and sighed, wishing the day…the year even…would come when all of her torment would come to an end. She had yet to learn that those days were practically just around the corner.


	3. Club Blossom

Disclaimer: I didn't do this at the start of the fanfics (didn't see the point) but I will do so here. I do not own CCS. It is a work owned by CLAMP. I also do not own any of the songs used in this story. The only things I own in this story are my OCs and this specific plot.

* * *

Chapter Three: Club Blossom

Amber strobe lights whirled around the tightly packed room awaiting the next band on stage. Wooden varnish tables and chairs added to the feel of the atmosphere. This place was the place to be for good music, food and fun downtown and stood out from all the other buildings on that strip. Custom Typeface font labelled the building reading "Club Blossom" on it.

A huge L.E.D lotus flower with the pink color of a blossom arrayed the name on the building, lighting up in an attractive pattern. Inside, dancing and chatting happened between the breaks of other bands. Many people took their date here. On specific nights, the atmosphere was much calmer and families would go to enjoy a nice meal together for a reasonable price.

The lights went off for a brief 30 seconds and people made their way to the seats. Bright L.E.D cherry blossoms were the only thing on until the band was on stage. Loud applause rang out. In the dark, you could only make out the silhouette of the band and their instruments …with the exception of the leader whose emerald eyes were brighter than anything on that stage. Intense.

"Hello all you beautiful people out there! This is our band, Life, speaking! Are you ready for some music?!" Sakura spoke confidently and her smile reached from ear to ear as the crowd shouted their reply. "Alright, then have fun out there!" She counted the band in and they got a nice tempo going.

_I'm not afraid to fall_

_It means I climbed up high_

_To fall is not to fail_

_You fail when you don't try_

_I'm not afraid to fall_

_I might just learn to fly_

_And I will spread these wings of mine._

The energy rocked the hangout and all of Sakura's passion filled the air. Sitting down watching like they usually do was Eriol and Tomoyo.

"Tonight is great huh Eriol?!" Tomoyo said as she rocked back and forth to the music.

"It's amazing! It's like she becomes a completely different person!" Eriol screamed back as he admired Sakura's passion on the stage. "Tonight the band seems to be somewhat overshadowed by her!"

Eriol looked on in amazement at the girl who was soaked earlier that day and how lively she had become. Deep inside, he wished he was just as strong as she was. Eriol looked around the room and saw some of his schoolmates enjoying the show.

"Hypocrites." Eriol grunted under his breath with a bit of hate.

"Huh?! Said something?" Tomoyo asked.

"Oh….it's nothing."

"Ignore it Eri. Sakura comes here and sings her heart out every other night to prove that she isn't beaten. Don't let them win by making you angry here." She picked up her boyfriend's hand and held it in her own.

Tomoyo was right. This was Sakura's way of coping with everything that has ever happened to her…her way of not falling under the weight of it all. She was doing something that made her happy and as a result, brought joy to others too.

_If I get up, I might fall back down again_

_So let's get up, c'mon_

_If I get up, I might fall back down again_

_We get up anyway_

_If I get up, I might fall back down again_

_So let's get up, c'mon_

_If I get up, I might fall back down again_

_And I might fall back down again_

_And we'll, just jump and see_

_Even if it's the twentieth time_

_We'll just jump up and see if we can fly._

* * *

In one corner, Sakura sat wiping the excess amount of sweat off her face. She wore a red knee-length dress with ruffles at the edges and a jeans jacket. Black slippers adorned her feet and her hair was fixed in a neat bun with a few wisps of hair framing her face.

She was sitting with two of her friends: Naoko and Chiharu. "As usual, you're always wearing a great outfit. If you were not the most amazing singer out of all the bands then you were the best dressed."

Sakura smiled. "You can thank Tomoyo for that. It's impossible to keep a measuring tape away from her. You guys can take my place if you want."

Naoko shook her head. "No way! That's what you're here for!" She took a sip of her soda.

Sakura sighed. "Gee, thanks, I feel so loved."

"I know. You're welcome." They all laughed.

Chiharu gazed around the teen club. "Wow, the club was really packed tonight. Then again, Club Blossom is always packed on Mondays and Wednesdays, because our Cherry Blossom is a top notch performer!"

Naoko grinned. "Got that right. She's the best!"

"I'm hurt, Naoko. I thought I was the best!" They all looked up at the guy who wrapped his arms around Naoko's waist. His half black, half blood red eyes glinted in mischief.

Naoko smiled and rolled her eyes. "Keep dreaming, darling. Clearly Sakura is way better than you."

"Ouch! That really hurts"

"You better suck it up then Kyou."

Kyou laughed. "Okay, I will…but only because I love you so much."

Naoko laughed also. "I'm glad to hear that."

Sakura and Chiharu laughed. "You guys are something else, seriously," Chiharu replied.

Kyou's brother, Elrick, came over to the group. "They've been told that a lot I'm sure."

"Hey!" Kyou and Naoko shouted in unison and they laughed again. During this time all the other members of the band had joined the group and their friends Tomoyo and Eriol met up with them also.

"Hey guys! Great job tonight! You were all amazing!" Tomoyo hugged Sakura and all the other members of the group.

Takashi nodded in thanks. "We really had a crowd tonight. It's amazing when you think of our beginnings in comparison to where we are now.

The group had been friends since their second year of middle school. During that time Club Blossom was a brand new spot and was in a much smaller location. Sakura had gotten permission to play the piano there while Club Blossom was closing up and they all were enticed by her melodies and voice. After meeting and getting to know each other the decision of forming a band was made and they had been inseparable ever since.

Sakura glanced at her watch and gasped at the time. "I would love to stay longer guys, but I have to go!" She picked up a black guitar case and strapped it upon herself. "I'll see you all later!"

"Tell Kohana I said hi!" Takashi waved with a smile on his face.

"Will do, Takashi! I'll give greetings from all of you!" With one last wave, Sakura left her friends for the night and headed home.

* * *

It was at eleven o'clock that night when the young musician entered her home and locked the door behind her. "Good night everyone! I'm home!" She walked into the living room to find her parents there talking.

They faced her a smiled. "Welcome back Sakura. How was the performance tonight?"

"It was great Mom! Our band has become very popular at Club Blossom these days."

Her father walked over and hugged his daughter. "In that case, I think we need to visit again to see what everyone else loves about you all. It has been a while since your mother and I have been there."

Sakura laughed and hugged her father back. "Families can come. You're both welcomed to come and watch anytime…if you don't feel too out of place while you're there."

"Oh, we'll be okay. We want to see you perform!"

Sakura grinned. "Well then, I look forward to it." She walked over to give her mother a hug. "I'm going to bed now. Is Kohana asleep?"

Her mother nodded her head. "She was tucked in bed a few hours ago."

"Thanks Mom, I really appreciate it. Goodnight Mom. Goodnight Dad. I love you both." Sakura headed upstairs.

Mr. and Mrs. Kinomoto looked at each other and gave small, proud smiles. "She's certainly had it rough these last few years, hasn't she Nadeshiko?"

Nadeshiko agreed with her husband. "Yes, she has…but I believe that she has grown up to be a lovely young lady."

* * *

Sakura went upstairs and entered Kohana's bedroom. Leaving the lights off but leaving the door ajar Sakura sat on the little girl's bed and observed her sleeping form. Just as her mother had said, Kohana was fast asleep.

A hand reached out and stroked the child's hair and immediately her eyes opened to look at the lady in front of her. "Mommy?"

Sakura nodded her head. "Yes, it's me sweetie."

Kohana popped up sleepily but excitedly as well. "Mommy, I made a friend today. His name is Kai and he just came to our class today. Can he come over to play Sunday please?"

Sakura laughed quietly. "It seems you were waiting on me just to ask me this question. Go back to sleep dear and we can talk about it with Grandma and Grandpa in the morning."

Kohana nodded and laid back down. "Goodnight Mommy."

Sakura kissed her forehead. "Goodnight Kohana." She watched as the child's breathing slowly evened out and smiled. This little girl here was her greatest reason to move forward…the reason why she stayed in school and even decided to play with the band, Life. If everything she does will help to make life better for her daughter then she would do whatever necessary to make sure that she succeeds.

One more kiss was placed on her daughter's forehead before getting up and turning in to her own room for the night.

* * *

A few days later Sakura decided to spend her lunch break inside Tomoeda High's music room. It was still rather cold outside and she wanted to work on some music for the band, making this room the perfect place to go.

Sitting by the piano, she studied the music sheets in front of her excitedly. Eriol, Tomoyo, and her two new friends Syaoran and Meiling had all agreed to catch up with her before lunch ended to hear a little of the songs she was working on. The emerald eyed girl sighed in contentment. No one had bothered her since the day had started. "Maybe I'll have a completely peaceful day for a change."

"And of course it is always so easy to find you."

Sakura closed her eyes and sighed once again except this time in frustration and disappointment. "I spoke way too soon…" She turned to look at the one female in Tomoeda High who more than likely hated her the most. "Hello there Kira. What do you want?"

A tall girl with an athletic figure and beautiful shoulder length black hair stood in front of Sakura. A group of girls followed behind her. "I'm just making up for lost time since I was not here for the first few days of classes…although I applaud the senior who did get to you on Monday. That bucket of water was a simple but ingenious idea." Kira slowly walked closer to Sakura and stood there with a stance that displayed a combination of arrogance and mockery. With a smirk she crossed her arms.

"Look, Kira…I really don't want to do this with you. Can't you just leave me in peace?"

In her rage Kira shoved all of her music onto the floor and grabbed Sakura by the shirt. "You don't deserve peace! Not after all the chaos you caused for me and my boyfriend! Who steals someone else's boyfriend, treats him like dirt, and then tries to make him look like the villain?! Only scum like you…"

Sakura slapped Kira's hands off of her uniform. Frustrated emerald eyes gazed into angry dark ones. "I've already tried to tell you the truth numerous times and you refused to believe. Now leave me alone! It's not my fault you choose to stay in denial!"

Suddenly Sakura found herself being shoved onto the floor where her music already was. "You whore! I hope you and that child both die!"

"Hey!" Kira jumped back as she spotted Tomoyo and the others right behind them.

Meiling and Syaoran were in shock. Meanwhile Eriol shook her head. "Not this again. You'd think they learned by now."

Kira turned around to face the group that had just entered the scene. "Oh, it's you."

Tomoyo walked up to Kira and glared. "I thought I told you to leave my friend alone."

Kira glared back. "What if I don't?"

"I don't think you'd want to find out."

The girls that came along with Kira decided now was the time to jump in and speak up. "Kira, why don't you let us take over from here and deal with her?" One member said, a smirk also on her face. She was slightly shorter than Kira, and had bleached blonde hair tied up in a ponytail. "We can take her."

Angry growls came from Tomoyo and Eriol found himself holding his girlfriend back. "Of course you'd think that you coward! That's because you're only brave enough to fight me in a group."

The girl who spoke up before became annoyed. "Who are you calling a coward?!"

"You! If you want to prove me wrong then fight me on your own!"

The girl began to roll up her sleeves, preparing for battle. "That's fine with me."

"Mira, stop it." The girl called Mira stopped in her tracks to see Kira raise one hand towards her…signaling exactly what she had just said. "There's no need to start a fight here and cause unnecessary trouble. It's not worth it just yet. Let's just leave it for now…there'll always be another day."

"But Kira…" Mira protests died at the stern glare her leader had just given her. She gave in and stopped. "Fine then." Mira then turned to glare at Tomoyo. "You got off lucky…for now at least."

Tomoyo scoffed and rolled her eyes. Eriol had finally released her since he knew that their enemies had no intention of starting a scuffle anymore. "Yea yea yea. I'm ready for you whenever." She waved her hand in a shooing motion.

Kira and her clique glared and looked her up and down but then proceeded to walk off rather than retaliate. They knew the perfect opportunity to get Tomoyo and Sakura would present itself soon and when it did…they would be ready.

Syaoran looked bewildered and spoke up immediately after the group left. "What was that all about?"

Eriol frowned. "Long story."

Tomoyo sighed and shook her head. She then looked down at Sakura who could only sit there and frowned. "What did she say this time?"

Sakura grabbed on to her skirt and took a deep breath. She then looked up and smiled. "It's nothing. Don't worry about it."

"But Sakura…" Sakura held out her hand to cut her off and smiled. "Fine then…if you say so."

Sakura collected the scattered music sheets and got off the ground with a grin. "I'm so glad you guys came before it was too late! The band has been working on a lot of songs lately I have so much to show you all!"

The group did not want to pretend as if the scene with Kira did not just happen. However, Sakura was persistent and so they temporarily placed it to the back of their minds.

For the next thirty minutes they had fun listening to parts of songs, singing and cracking jokes. They had so much fun they barely noticed the bell ringing.

Meiling was the first to jump up. "The bell just rang! We'd better get going!" Seconds later everyone began to rise and leave the music room.

"Hey guys…" Everyone stopped to turn towards the voice and saw a very timid version of Sakura, eyes downcast and gazing at the music rather than their faces. "I know Syaoran and Meiling…you two have only just met me a few days ago…but I think there are some things that I need to make clear to you."

Syaoran shook his head. "You don't have to tell us now. We'd wait until you're ready."

Sakura looked and smiled softly at her new friend. "Thank you…but I think I'm ready to tell you. If you're willing to come over and meet my family this Sunday afternoon I'll tell you everything then. Of course Tomoyo and Eriol…you can come too."

Meiling smiled and gave a thumbs up. "We'd be happy to come! Thanks for inviting us! Now we'd better get going or else we'll really be late for class. Come on!" She then began to jokingly jog out of the room, leaving the others laughing, including Sakura.

While the group continued to joke all the way to class, Sakura hoped that on Sunday when they heard the truth…she wouldn't lose these two people as friends.

* * *

Song: Get Up by Superchick

A/N: So there's the end of this chapter! I hope you liked it! I just want to wish to all my fellow Bahamians on the site a Happy Independence Day! The day has long since ended but I hope today was a great day for you all. And for those of you who are not Bahamian and do not know our history, The Bahamas became independent July 10, 1973…making the nation 41 years old. Yes, I know that is not a lot of time, but hey...this is a rather new independent nation!

Anyway, I hope you guys continue to read the story and enjoy. Until next time!


	4. Acceptance

A/N: So...I'm back. It's been three weeks since I have updated and I apologize greatly for it. From getting sick to struggling with other personal issues it has been hard getting this chapter out. However it is complete, ready and waiting for you to read! This chapter is also much longer than the others because of the story content in this chapter so hopefully it's worth the wait (emphasis on hopefully). I hope you enjoy this chapter until next time (which I will try to bring much much sooner). Btw...words in italics in this chapter represent flashback scenes. Happy reading!

* * *

Chapter Four: Acceptance

It was Saturday night and the city of Tomoeda was bustling with life downtown. The sound of laughter and chatter mingled in the air as people headed to their destinations.

In one area of downtown was a small but quaint restaurant that was known for its good food and calming atmosphere. Many couples were heading into the restaurant, looking forward to a great meal while many also left, being quite satisfied with everything the place had to offer.

A petite young lady walked out with her date quite happy with how everything went. She wore a simple knee-length yellow dress with black tights and boots. She pulled slightly at her black coat. It was still rather cold out even though there wasn't as much snow on the ground. She gazed at the stars for a brief moment and then turned towards her date. "That was a very nice restaurant. Thank you for bringing me here."

"Of course Rika. It was my pleasure." Her date, a taller and slightly older man gave a small, but happy smile. He too was well dressed for the occasion in black trousers and a blue shirt underneath a dark green coat. He had short brown hair and wore rimless glasses. Holding out his hand to reach for hers he said, "Would you like to stop somewhere for some tea or hot chocolate before heading home?"

Rika gazed at him with a smile before giving him her hand and squeezing it gently. "Sure Terada! That sounds great." The couple proceeded towards the nearest café in pleasant silence.

* * *

Another couple was also out that night. Kyou and Naoko were walking home after attending an event together. They were dressed more formally than Rika and Terada had been since it had been a play they went to.

Naoko also wore a simple, but flowing, long sleeved white dress underneath her coat. Her hair was pinned up in a modest, yet lovely hairstyle. She was practically skipping alongside her boyfriend who wore black pants with a white shirt with a red tie. He had his hands tucked into his coat pockets as he laughed at Naoko. "Someone seems to be very happy."

"How could I not be when my awesome boyfriend got us tickets to a play I had been dying to go to for weeks?!" She stopped skipping and laced an arm through his with a grin. She gazed up at him with bright, playful eyes. "Have I told you how amazing you are?"

With his other hand he pretended to smooth out his clothing in an arrogant manner. "Why thank you! I get that a lot."

"Is that so?" Naoko lightly hit him and they both began to laugh. This was how the couple had always been since the beginning of their relationship and even their friendship. Having been together for two years already they were more than comfortable enough joking around each other.

After the laughter died down the two were quiet for a moment before Kyou spoke up once again. "I'm glad you enjoyed it tonight. I might not be as familiar with plays and classical music as you are…but I enjoyed the play too. It was really good."

"I'm glad to hear that." Naoko grinned and continued to hold onto his arm. She had been playing classical music for as long as she could remember. Ever since she was a little girl, Naoko had been taking cello lessons and over the years became a great musician…even playing on occasion with their band "Life".

Soon they got to Naoko's home and stopped at the front door. Naoko's bright and bubbly smile suddenly became softer as she reached up to hug Kyou. "Thank you so much for tonight. I had a great time with you…I mean it."

Kyou leaned down and gave her a chaste kiss in reply. "I feel the same way."

Before anything could be said the door was opened and a tall, stern looking man appeared. "Naoko, I didn't realize you went to the play with friends."

Naoko turned to face the man at the door and her smile subtle became more subdued and polite. "Goodnight Dad. I'm sure you remember Kyou Echiru. He and I went together tonight."

Kyou looked at Naoko's step father with a subdued and polite smile as well. "Goodnight Mr. Yanagisawa. It is nice to see you again."

"Goodnight to you too…although I can't say the feeling is mutual." Mr. Yanagisawa glanced at Naoko. "Naoko, go inside. I'll be there in a minute."

Naoko looked as if she wanted to say something but kept her mouth closed instead. Quickly she waved goodbye to her boyfriend and walked inside….leaving the two men alone.

The step father held his stern, but otherwise neutral face for a moment longer. He looked at Kyou's red hair and his half red and black eyes with barely contained disgust. "I must admit that I am surprised that she is still with you. I thought Naoko would've broken up with you a long time ago."

The young man merely shrugged. "I guess you can say that we really like each other…a lot."

"I do not like you around my daughter. Stay away from her and do not ever come back to this house. I hope I'm making myself clear."

Kyou raised an eyebrow at the rather blunt declaration. When Naoko's mother was still alive, it was quite clear that Mr. Yanagisawa did not like him. However, now that she had passed away, he was making his hatred for the young man that much more known. The step father had been quiet for a few months, but it seemed that he had now become fed up. "You are being heard crystal clear sir…whether or not I will listen to your threats however is still left to be decided."

Mr. Yanagisawa glared angrily at Kyou who merely gazed back with a serious stare of his own. "Goodnight Mr. Echiru. I hope I don't see you again." With that he entered the house and slammed the door.

Kyou sighed and started walking down the steps. He always wanted to get to know Naoko's father better but clearly that was not going to happen. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he looked at the house one more time while sending a prayer that she did not get scolded harshly for staying with him, and then headed home.

* * *

"Hello there! Please come in! Eriol and Tomoyo are already here." Sakura smiled as she let Meiling and Syaoran into the house.

The cousins entered into the house as told. Meiling held a small container in her hands. "We thought we should bring something for you guys. It's tofu pudding."

Sakura grinned and took the container out of her hands. "Why thank you! We were making some sweet red bean soup as well. Let's hope they both can go together well."

While they were speaking, Sakura's mom came out of the kitchen. "Hello!" She was a beautiful lady with long, dark hair tied up and away from her face. She was wearing an apron and covered in flour.

"Syaoran, Meiling…this is my mom, Nadeshiko Kinomoto. Mom these are my two new friends that transferred from Hong Kong." Greetings were exchanged and Sakura handed the dish to Nadeshiko. "They brought this here for us."

Mrs. Kinomoto smiled and Syaoran immediately figured out where Sakura got her smile from. "That was really thoughtful of you two…thank you!" She held out a flour covered hand towards the couch in the living room where Tomoyo was seated and waving. "Please I insist you have a seat. I'm sure my daughter and her friends will be entertaining you both."

They thanked her and took a seat. Tomoyo grinned. "I'm glad you both were able to make it. Eriol's in the kitchen with Mrs. Kinomoto."

Meiling raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "I didn't think he knew how to cook that well."

"Well I was in there earlier but a certain little girl insisted that he got a turn to help with the cooking."

Suddenly a little girl came running out of the kitchen and straight into the living room. Covered in flour from head to toe, she began to jump up and down excitedly. "Is Kai here yet?"

Sakura shook her head and laughed. "Kai's not here yet but you can meet him like this! You're a mess! You'll get flour on him and everyone else."

Everyone else laughed as well and Eriol came out of the kitchen also covered in flour. His face was slightly flustered even though he was laughing as well. "I'm sorry Sakura. She insisted we try baking something and a bag of flour fell on us in her excitement while actually baking."

Sakura waved her hand with a smile. "It's fine Eriol, no harm done. Besides, I think she had fun…didn't you Kohana?" The group laughed again as she nodded happily.

Kohana turned to see Syaoran who had been gazing at her for a while quite confused. He did not expect to see her in the Kinomoto home. The girl waved at him directly. "Thank you for saving me that day!"

Syaoran finally returned a smile, temporarily shaking off his confusion. "You've met before I see." Syaoran nodded at his cousin Meiling.

He then turned to face Sakura. "Is she your little sister? You two look so much alike."

Kohana jumped in. "She's my mommy!"

The room went silent at the little girl's outburst and her eyes grew wide with fear. "Did I say something bad…?"

Sakura leaned over her daughter and kissed her flour covered cheek. "Not at all little one, I promise. Now how about letting Auntie Tomoyo take you to your room so you can get cleaned up. Kai and his parents should be here soon."

Kohana nodded and allowed Tomoyo to take her upstairs to get changed. Sakura sat back down knowing that all eyes were on her. Eriol placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, which she was grateful for. "I suppose now is the best time to tell you what I've been keeping quiet from you for the last few days…I ask that you please listen until the end."

Emerald eyes scanned the room and could only see kind, patient eyes gazing back at her. They nodded their heads and she took that as the go ahead to start her story. "It all started in my second year of middle school. Eriol had just moved from England a year before that and had become very good friends with me and Tomoyo. School life had been going very well at that time but that year was when a lot of changes happened…"

* * *

_Three Years Ago_

"_Hey Sakura, you've been really happy for the last few months. I guess that means you and Arata have been doing well." Tomoyo winked at her and laughed at Sakura's flushed face._

_Sakura had been dating a very nice guy named Arata for the last three months. A member of the school's softball team, he was very popular among the students. This in return made Sakura popular as well. However she did not let this get to her head. Sakura remained humble and stuck close to her two friends Eriol and Tomoyo._

_Eriol nudged Tomoyo. "Oh come on Tomoyo. No need to tease her more than that."_

"_But it's so much fun! I can't resist!"_

_A fourth person sat down at the table and laughed. "Let's give Sakura a break for now, okay Tomoyo?"_

_Tomoyo faced the new person at the table with a grin. "Okay Arata…but only because you're here now."_

_Arata smiled. "Thanks."_

_They spent the rest of lunch eating and chatting together until the bell signaled that it was time to resume classes. Tomoyo, Eriol and Sakura headed towards their class when Sakura felt a hand tug gently on her wrist. Turning she saw it was Arata. "Everything's okay?"_

_Arata took Sakura's hand into his own and looked her in the eyes. "Would you like to go to the movies with me this weekend? There's a new movie coming out that I think we'd both like."_

_The young girl smiled. "Sure! That'd be great! How does seven Saturday night sound?"_

"_Sounds perfect."_

_Sakura waved goodbye knowing she wouldn't see him until after classes were done and looked forward to their date later that week._

* * *

_Saturday Night: The Date_

"_Hello there Arata! It's so good to see you again!" Mr. and Mrs. Kinomoto shook his hand as he entered the home._

_The young boy stepped inside with a smile. "It is nice to see you again too. I hope everything is going well for you?"_

_Mr. Kinomoto spoke up. "Yes it is! I hope you are able to visit again at some point. I am about to leave for a huge archeological dig along with one of my classes. The trip should turn out rather well."_

"_Well, then I shall do my best to be here when you return! Is Sakura ready as yet?"_

"_She should be down any minute now," Mrs. Kinomoto replied._

_Not long after did Sakura come down the stairs in a simple red knee-length dress with a tiny blossom clip in her bob cut hair and a thin silver necklace. She looked at her parents and then Arata with a smile. "Good evening everyone."_

_Arata held his hand out for Sakura to take a hold of, excitement in his eyes. "You look very nice tonight."_

"_Thank you!"_

_Sakura's parents watched on quietly for a moment before leaving the young couple alone. "Looks like it's time for you all to go if you want to catch that movie in time. Have fun and be safe!"_

"_We will!" The couple called out as they left the house._

_Mr. Kinomoto looked at his wife fondly once the younger ones were gone. "You know…I was hesitant about our daughter dating at first but at least this guy was nice and respectful. I like him a lot."_

"_I agree with you Fujitaka and they both seem so happy together. Let's just hope things continue to go well for them."_

* * *

_Sakura and Arata were sitting on a bench in the park just talking after watching the newest action movie that was out. So far the date had been going rather well._

"_That was a great movie! I especially loved the plotline. The twists were insane!" Sakura waved her arms excitedly._

_Arata merely nodded his head with a pensive look on his face. Sakura continued to speak until she realized that her boyfriend had not been paying very much attention to the conversation. "Arata…are you okay?"_

_He remained silent a moment longer before finally turning to look at her. As he did earlier that week he gently held her hands in his. "Sakura, I have a question to ask you."_

_Concerned eyes gazed into his. "What is it?"_

"_We have been dating for about three months already and I wanted to know how you felt about us taking the next step in our relationship…I mean we had talked about this before."_

_Sakura's eyes grew even wider. She understood perfectly what he was implying. She liked him a lot but…"I'm sorry Arata. It isn't something I am ready for. I think that it's too soon and that we're too young."_

"_I don't think so at all. It's normal for people our age in relationships." Arata began to frown._

"_Even if it is, I am still not ready for it -" _

"_Do you have any idea how long I waited for you? I usually don't have to wait for anything. My ex and I were together for a month before we got to this point! I did everything I could to make you happy and you can't even do this one thing for me?!"_

_His grip became tighter and Sakura winced in pain. "Arata, please stop it. You're hurting me!"_

_The young girl's pleas were ignored. "When will you be ready, Sakura? A year from now? Or would it be five years from now? I don't want to wait any longer…and I won't." Arata's eyes suddenly looked wild and wicked. A hand immediately grabbed Sakura's hair and pulled…causing her to fall backwards into him._

_Fear and panic flooded her system and she screamed for help, struggling against her boyfriend. However a hand was placed over her mouth and a harsh whisper was sent to her ear. "If you don't stop that right now I will kill you."_

_With the threat introduced fear became pure terror and dread and sunk to the pits of her stomach as she was quickly dragged out of the near empty park and into a well hidden location. The next thirty minutes felt like hours to her…and when it was all over Arata was looking over Sakura, curled in a ball silently sobbing._

_However his eyes no longer contained the gentleness it had at the start of the date or even the anger it held thirty minutes ago. Instead it was a look of pity and disgust…and with scorn he left her there, his last words being, "We're done."_

_Sakura remained there another hour before finding the strength to move. Slowly she made her way home. People noticed her disheveled appearance and the tears streaming down her face, but willingly chose to ignore the haunted eyes of the wounded girl as she limped her way to her house._

_When she finally arrived home she quickly went inside. Her mother was not downstairs at the moment and her father was out on another archeological dig with a college class. Taking this opportunity she snuck up to her room and locked the door. _

_Sakura took a good look in the mirror attached to her door. The once simple and beautiful knee-length red dress had been roughly handled and torn. Her hair was wild from the pulling that had been done to it and bruises from being hit and shoved were evident all over her body. She was covered in dirt from being thrown on the ground. She was a wreck…and as memories flooded her mind._

_Finally she could take it no longer, sunk to the ground and began to shed silent bitter tears. Never had she expected something like this to happen to her…but now it had and all she could do was sink in her own despair._

* * *

The tense silence in the room only got tenser. The Li cousins were in shock. Meiling stared at her new friend with tears in her eyes.

Syaoran could not even find words to formulate a thought in his mind. Shock, anger, horror, and grief. He wanted to find the right words to say but what would ever be okay to say in a situation like this?

Sakura continued to speak. "Needless to say I was scarred by the entire incident. Students at school noticed Arata and I were no longer together and wondered why. However, we both kept quiet. He did so to keep his good reputation. I did out of fear. It was stupid of me to do but I thought that if I had spoken up then something bad would have happened to me again. And so it was a while before anyone else found out what had happened."

"How long?" Syaoran asked cautiously.

Sakura gave him a sad smile. "…Three months later."

* * *

_A few raps were heard on the door leading to Sakura's room. However, no one answered…much to Tomoyo's annoyance. "Sakura, I know that you're in there. I'm coming in."_

_Tomoyo opened the door to find her best friend curled up in a ball on her bed. Tomoyo shut the door quickly and immediately ran over to her. "Sakura…what's wrong? You hardly talk to anyone since you and Arata broke up. You refuse to tell me or Eriol why you broke up and Arata's practically pretending that you don't exist." _

"_You don't hang out with anyone and seem to shut yourself in this house for days at a time. It's summer. You're usually out having fun. It's not normal to see you like this and you've been like this for the last few months. I'm worried about you…and so is everyone else. What is going on?"_

_The room remained silent since Sakura refused to answer. A frustrated best friend decided that she would temporarily stay quiet as well and glance around the room to see if she could figure out the problem herself._

_Tomoyo scanned the room…nothing seemed to be out of place. She then decided to get a good look at Sakura. Her eyes locked on Sakura's being as she started to notice some changes in her friend. _

"_Honestly I think the fresh air, sun and exercise would do you some good. You're a bit paler than normal and…not to be rude or anything but did you gain weight…"_

_Her words faded out as she paid attention to Sakura's stomach specifically. This seemed to be more than just weight…it couldn't be…could it? "Sakura…are you pregnant?"_

_This gave Tomoyo a reaction. Sakura looked up at Tomoyo shocked and fearful. However, she could not look her in the eyes. She lowered her head once again. "Yes…I am."_

_At this admission an angered Tomoyo began to fire questions rapidly. "What?! How did this happen?! Were you and Arata sleeping together? I mean…I'm guessing this is Arata's child…does he know about this? Sakura, how did this happen?!"_

_Sakura started playing with her hands, switching between pulling one finger at a time and then twiddling her thumbs. Her words were slow and deliberate. "Arata doesn't know. You see…the whole thing is complicated."_

"_How so? I mean, I know that you really cared about Arata so he was definitely the only person you would have been with…you did sleep together with him didn't you?"_

_The hand playing suddenly stopped. "I wouldn't say we exactly slept together…although we were together. It was him but it was a onetime thing. It happened but it wasn't mutual…_ _I guess that doesn't make sense does it…?" Sakura laughed halfheartedly and continued in her ramble._

_Tomoyo however was no longer paying attention to the rambling. She focused on her friend's actions. Sakura refused to make eye contact the entire time and her voice was cracking as if she was trying to fight back tears. She focused on the first few things her friend said. And based on what was being said…things did not sound right. Suddenly it all clicked in Tomoyo's head and amethyst eyes widened in horror. It couldn't be…_

_She took Sakura's hands into her own and forced the girl to look directly into her eyes. "Sakura…were you raped?"_

_Silence. The next few seconds it felt like time had stopped between them. It was all broken by a single utterance. "…yes."_

_With the truth finally revealed Sakura could no longer hold back the dam and tears sprang forth into her eyes. She sobbed inconsolably, collapsing into Tomoyo's arms. Immediately Tomoyo wrapped her arms around the girl in comfort having just been numbed by the unbelievable truth. Thirty minutes later Tomoyo looked at her friend directly in the eyes. As calmly and gently as she could she told Sakura, "We need to tell your parents…and we need to call the police."_

_Sakura recoiled as if she had suddenly been burnt and shook her head. "I don't have the heard to tell them…and what if Arata does something bad?"_

"_Sakura…there was no way you would have been able to hide this any longer. I mean…look at you! You're starting to show! As for Arata…don't worry about him. I don't know what caused him to do what he did…I did not expect this from him. Still, what he did was wrong on so many levels and needs to be dealt with. Your family and friends will protect you."_

_Sakura hesitated before replying but finally relented by nodding her head. That was all Tomoyo needed and a few seconds later she was heading downstairs to find a way to plan a family meeting and help her best friend and cousin out of a horrible situation._

* * *

"…I am so grateful for what Tomoyo did for me that day. She jumped in at a time I needed someone most. I found the courage to tell my parents what had happened. The police were called and Arata and his family were contacted. It became a big mess actually. The school was embarrassed about the whole "scandal" as they had called it. Rumors flew around the school like wildfire…mainly about me."

"It was during this time that I became hated. His ex-girlfriend began to believe that it was me who broke up with him and then accused him of a terrible crime. It also didn't help that all charges were eventually dropped. There was no way to prove that what happened between us was anything but consensual. Lack of evidence meant no real case...Arata was never charged for anything. His family that we were once close to loathe us for what we did to their son and moved away with their son. I was left with angry people all around me in my neighborhood and in our schools."

Sakura paused and looked around the room. No one had dared speak a word. No one knew what to say. By this point Eriol was holding Sakura's hand for support and she was clinging on for dear life.

Meiling was completely in tears at this point and Syaoran had a distinct frown on his face. Sakura sighed. "And that's basically the whole story. I must confess that there were many times I thought about getting myself at least partially out of this mess by having an abortion. Life would have been easier. People would have still hated me…but having a child that was the product of the chaos would be even more difficult to handle. I even went to a doctor once to end it once and for all but in the end I backed out. I just didn't have to heart to get rid of my baby…I couldn't do it. And now, looking at Kohana, I am glad I made the choice that I did. Life has been much harder but I love that little girl and would never trade her for anything in the world."

She gave a small smile. "I'm sorry my story was so long…it must be exhausting to hear all of this from someone you haven't known for very long."

"There's no need to apologize." Sakura turned to see that it was Syaoran who had replied. With eyes full of empathy he smiled back at the emerald eyed girl. "Thank you…for sharing a story so personal with people you haven't known for very long. It means a lot to me."

Meiling nodded while wiping tears from her face. "Same here Sakura…it means a lot to me as well. Thank you."

Sakura looked at her new friends and noted how genuine and accepting they were. She looked at Eriol who was grinning and still holding her hand for comfort. Her smile grew. "Thank you for accepting me."

A few seconds later Kohana came running down the stairs. "Mommy, look what Auntie Tomoyo did!" The little girl turned around to show the French braid Tomoyo had done for her.

Sakura laughed. "It looks very nice. Did you thank Auntie Tomoyo?" The little girl nodded her head. "Good." She looked up at her cousin and best friend. "Thanks for all your help!"

Tomoyo playfully saluted. "It was my pleasure!"

Sakura glanced around the room one more time. Not everyone is as lucky as her. She would always be grateful for the people she had in her life.

The doorbell rang. Kohana jumped up and down excitedly and ran towards the door. "Kai's here!" The whole group laughed and prepared to welcome the new guests to the home, hoping that things would go well with this family too.


	5. Immaturity

Chapter Five: Immaturity

Two months had passed since Sakura had told Syaoran and Meiling her story and her friendship grew even more over the time period. At the moment they were preparing to leave their homeroom class as the school day was about to end.

"Before you all leave I have an announcement to make." Everyone remained quiet as they waited for Mr. Terada to give the news. "As you all know it is almost time for the school festival and it has been decided that to end it there will be a talent competition instead this year. First place gives you 100,000 yen and second place gives you 50,000 yen. If you're interested please see me before you leave to get all of the rules and guidelines for the competition."

Instantly the class was filled with excitement over hearing this news and as students got up to leave many stopped at Mr. Terada's desk for more information.

This included Sakura and her friends as well. Eriol and Meiling decided to stop and get the papers providing further information for the competition. The group all then headed towards the lockers. "What do the rules say?" Tomoyo asked.

"It says here that solo and group performances are allowed in the competition. Students outside of the school can participate as well as long as at least one person in the group belongs to Tomoeda High. Once everyone has performed the audience will vote on the performance they liked best. The one with the most votes wins." Eriol passed the sheet to Tomoyo so that she could see it herself.

"Sounds like fun," Syaoran commented.

Meiling then jumped up excitedly. "Sakura, I think Life should enter the competition! You guys would be a shoe-in to win for sure!"

"I don't know…you don't think there would be groups better than us?" Sakura asked.

"Please! Who would be better than you guys? I know you guys have a chance to win. It also wouldn't hurt to try. It could be a lot of fun." Tomoyo, Syaoran, and Eriol all nodded and agreed with Meiling.

Sakura laughed. "Alright, you all got me. I'll bring it up with everyone else in the band and see if they'd be willing to participate."

Meiling cheered. "You guys would be awesome! I just know it!"

"Sakura, you have a band? Well…who would've thought?" The group turned to see Kira smirking at them with her arms crossed. Alongside her was a girl that they were not familiar with. The girl was almost as tall and athletic and Kira if not more so. She had bright blue eyes and black hair cut in a bob and rather than wearing a smirk identical to Kira's she maintained a rather impartial face.

Tomoyo groaned. "What do you want now?"

"Shaia and I just couldn't help but overhear your conversation that's all. Sakura…I had no idea you had your own band." She shrugged rather arrogantly.

"It's not my band Kira. All my friends have a part to play in it."

"Whatever you say Sakura." Kira rolled her eyes at Sakura's statement. "Besides I have a feeling that if this band is anything like your reputation…it stinks. I wouldn't join the competition if I were you. You have no chance of winning."

Tempers were beginning to rise clearly in both Tomoyo and Meiling. Syaoran stepped forward. "Kira, is there really a need to do all of this? Why don't you let the judges decide when the time comes?"

Suddenly Kira's smile became coy. She walked over to Syaoran and placed a hand on his arm. "Hello Li, I did not even notice you there. You know…you could be quite popular if you didn't hang around this witch."

"Her name's Sakura…and I don't appreciate you talking about my friend like this." Syaoran pulled his arm out of her hands.

Kira felt miffed. "How you could -"

"Kira…we're running late. I think we better get going." Everyone turned towards the slightly annoyed voice to realize it was the girl who had been standing quietly the whole time. Her once impartial face was now replaced with a frown and her arms were crossed.

Kira looked at her watch and frowned. "You're right! We better go." She looked at Sakura once again with a smug smile. "Good luck in the competition. You'll need all of it." The girl walked off, her friend Shaia following behind her. However before completely disappearing from the group's line of vision Shaia threw them one more look.

Baffled, Eriol was the first to point it out aloud. "Is it just me…or was that an apologetic look that was just sent our way?" Everyone else in the group noticed it as well and was equally as confused. Why would a friend of Kira do something like that for them?

* * *

"Well, what are you going to do about this?!"

"Things cannot stay the way they are now!"

"Those children need to leave as quickly as possible! They are a bad influence on our children!"

Ms. Yen was but a mere seconds away from pulling out her dark, shoulder length hair. She had had more than enough of these parents that were complaining in front of her. She never expected things to end up like this.

In the past Kohana would keep to herself because she was not allowed to play with the other children. Ever since Kai had come to the preschool, Kohana's mood had visibly brightened and she finally had a friend to play with at the preschool.

Now for some odd reason the parents of the other children decided to storm into the classroom and complain about both children being in the school. Ms. Yen looked at the three mothers that were standing in front of her with scowls on their faces. She did her best to maintain a polite look on her face as she tried to speak to the upset mothers.

"I'm sorry but now is not the best time to discuss this matter. We still have children around and I would not want to upset them. Can we please set up a parent-teachers meeting to talk about all of this?"

One of the mothers huffed when she heard this and crossed her arms. "I fail to see what the big deal is. The sooner we deal with this, the better we all will be." The other two women agreed with the more outspoken mother.

Ms. Yen insisted once again. "We will deal with this matter as quickly as possible. However I need you all to respect the fact that we do have children here waiting on their parents. Your children are also waiting on you and we would not want them to hear us adults fighting do we? I will discuss this with the principal of the preschool and will inform all of the parents about the upcoming meeting."

"Even the parents of those two brats? They are the problem! We don't need them there!"

The teacher sighed in frustration. "Yes…even them. They do have a right to know what the complaint is being made about their children after all. And please don't call any child a brat here. Let's try to stay respectful in front of the children. As soon as I get word from the head of this preschool I will send a letter out for all of you alright?"

The mothers looked at each other and reluctantly agreed, taking their children with them and leaving the classroom. The moment the door closed behind the last mother Ms. Yen collapsed into a chair out of pure exhaustion. Pinching the bridge of her nose she sighed. 'Why on earth is this happening?' she thought to herself.

Two pairs of hands were felt pulling onto her pants and she looked down to see two pairs of sad eyes gazing up at her. "Why were the mommies so mad at us? Did we do something bad?"

"Do we have to leave the school Ms. Yen?"

The teacher gasped. She thought that Kai and Kohana were still fast asleep in the corner but the parents' noise must have woken them up. Of course they would hear everything that was said about them. She looked into the sad eyes of the children and felt her heart break. Ms. Yen knew that the children did nothing to deserve this but alas it was happening anyway. Why did life have to be so cruel?

Ms. Yen picked up Kohana first and then Kai and sat each one on a leg. She then hugged them both. "You didn't do anything bad. I promise. Your parents and I will make sure you get to stay at this school…so don't worry about it, okay?" The two children nodded and Ms. Yen hoped within her herself that she could really keep her promise.

* * *

The following evening Sakura's friends were at Club Blossom just to hang out for a change rather than perform. Only the members of Life were able to come since Eriol, Syaoran, Meiling, and Tomoyo all had other plans that night. Kyou, Elrick, Takashi, Rika and Chiharu were all sitting at a table chatting. A few minutes later Naoko came in with a tired smile on her face. She was wearing blue jeans with a purple, long-sleeved blouse. She waved to the group. "Hey everyone."

Kyou turned to smile and hug his girlfriend only to stop when he saw a bruise on the left side of her face. He walked over and placed a gentle hand upon Naoko's face. She winced in pain and he and frowned. "Naoko are you alright? How did you get this bruise?"

Naoko waved Kyou off. "I was a bit clumsy today and tripped and fell with my cello case on my way home. I'm fine, really."

Kyou gazed quietly at her for a moment, not quite believing what she said. 'She is rarely this clumsy…especially with her cello. Is she really telling the truth?' He sighed and decided to let it go. Kyou kissed the unbruised cheek and gave a small smile. "Alright Naoko, if you say so. Just…be careful please."

"I will, I promise."

Sakura then entered the club with a completely dazed and worried look on her face. She waved at everyone and then slumped into a chair. Naoko was the first to speak up. "Hey Sakura, what's wrong?"

The others looked at Sakura and became concerned as well. She was holding a letter in her hands, a frown seemingly permanently etched onto her face. Taking a deep breath Sakura handed the letter to her friends for them to see and explained the problem. "It's the preschool Kohana goes to. A parent-teacher meeting has been called to discuss whether or not Kohana should be allowed to attend the school anymore."

"What?!" The outburst was not only unanimous but instantaneous and everyone in the immediate area turned towards the sound in shock.

"Why do they want to kick your daughter out of the school?" Elrick asked.

"It's not the school that wants to kick me out…it's the parents. They have been making complaints to the classroom teacher Ms. Yen saying that Kohana is a bad influence on the other children. A similar letter has been sent to Kai's parents as well."

Rika shook her head. "I don't understand…Kohana is such a sweet little girl. I doubt she has done anything to cause parents to complain."

"Isn't it obvious?" Kyou snorted. "Kohana is not the issue…Sakura is. They are ashamed to have their children in the same class as the child of a mother who is not only young but single as well."

Takashi nodded in agreement. "Let's also not forget that Sakura's reputation has been sullied because of what has happened in the past. They want to get rid of the 'bad influence'. I must ask though…why do they want Kai gone? He's the new student Kohana became good friends with right? Why do they want him gone?"

"Honestly I think it's partially because of his looks. His dad, Mr. Akiyama, was adopted into a Japanese family in America. However he is American by blood and married an American as well. They both have red hair and blue eyes and stayed in New York for the first few years of Kai's life. Kai was bound to have red hair, blue eyes, and speak English as his first language. He is a loveable kid but naturally he stands out in the class."

Sakura ran her fingers through her hair. "Add the fact that he has befriended my daughter and now all the parents have become determined to make him seem like a problem child as well."

"This is messed up…" Naoko looked at the letter and shook her head while taking a seat next to Sakura. She reached out for the distraught girl's hand and squeezed it gently. "I believe that everything will work out for the best Sakura. Your child is a sweetheart and based on what stories you have told us it seems that the teachers have never had any trouble with her before either."

Kyou sat in the chair on the opposite side of Sakura and gave her a light nudge. "Naoko's right. Kohana and Kai will be alright. You have friends and family both here to support you and Kohana and I'm sure Kai has the same support. Actually I would love to meet the little guy. He sounds like an interesting kid."

Soon the others were giving words of comfort to the girl and a small smile began to appear on her face. "Thanks guys. It's nice to know I have friends to talk to about things like this."

"Another thing friends are good for is a great distraction…and I have the perfect distraction for you." Chiharu grinned at the confused faces now in front of her.

"What is it exactly?" Sakura asked curiously.

Chiharu walked over to Rika, sat down and placed an arm around her shoulders. "I found out that our dear friend has been secretly dating someone recently."

"What?!" Once again people turned around, stunned by the sudden outburst.

Rika also seemed quite surprised and turned to face Chiharu with wide eyes. "How did you find out about that?!"

"A friend of mine saw you with a guy much taller than you coming out of a rather fancy restaurant. She didn't know who the guy was and came to ask me if I knew anything about it. Who would've thought you'd be keeping a secret like this from your friends Rika?"

The girl in question glanced away from Chiharu's excited grin. Her face was flushed. "I was going to tell you eventually. I just was not ready to yet."

Naoko got excited as well. "That's okay Rika. We're not angry with you. Besides, you can tell us all about him now."

Chiharu nodded her head. "I agree! So…what's he like? Who is he? What's his name? How long have you two been dating?"

Rika placed a finger on her lips with a gentle smile. "It's a secret. I will tell you all eventually, I promise."

"Aww…come on!" Chiharu moaned. "That's no fun!"

The rest of the group all was laughing by this point after watching the girls interrogate poor Rika. "I hope you tell them soon Rika…for your sake." Elrick chuckled.

Rika gazed desperately at Sakura. "Help me…please!"

Sakura laughed but decided to help Rika out. "Alright Chiharu, Naoko…let's give the girl a break for now. She'll tell us when she's ready. Besides I have some news for you all as well."

The others stopped their pestering and listened as Sakura explained the talent competition to them. She went into detail about the rules and the reward for the winners.

Kyou whistled. "100,000 yen and 50,000 yen are awesome rewards for a high school to give I must admit."

"I agree. So…" Sakura looked at her friends nervously. "Would you guys be willing to play in the competition with me? The money is not my goal but I do think it would be a lot of fun for us. It would be a different experience for us…and it wouldn't hurt if we won either reward."

"Well, you can count me in!" Kyou exclaimed.

Takashi nodded. "Same here. I think it would be fun!" Everyone else seemed to be up for it as well.

Sakura smiled. "Thanks guys! I really appreciate this!"

Rika replied, "No problem. The only question is now…which song are we going to perform?"

The rest of the time was spent with Life playfully arguing the song to be played for the competition.


End file.
